


Stranded

by AvandraTheMarySueSlayer



Category: Baldur's Gate
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, Cliche, F/M, Inappropriate Erections, Nudity, bullshit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 20:32:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17128253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvandraTheMarySueSlayer/pseuds/AvandraTheMarySueSlayer
Summary: Celebratory one-shot for Strangeness and Charm: Shadows of Amn surpassing 400 views!Climbing the Cloud Peaks in the middle of a blizzard in order to slay the Dark Moon monks who tried to assassinate Rasaad has not been one of Cat's brightest ideas. Luckily for her, Dorn is more than used to surviving in cold environments, just enough to keep her alive.





	Stranded

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this bullshit because 'tis the season to write cliché trapped-in-a-blizzard bullshit. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it <3

 

* * *

 

The wind at the proximities of the Cloud Peaks soared with a fury never before seen. Rasaad was convinced that it was the rage of nature at being despoiled by the Dark Moon monks. Cat thought it was just a blizzard, and that they had chosen the worst possible fucking moment for mountain climbing, but hey, it wasn't like she could allow some guys to go and try to murder one of her companions. As their leader, she was responsible for their well-being, and so the ambush Rasaad suffered in Baldur's Gate would not go unanswered. She was going to turn that temple to ashes. After taking pity on some Dark Moon applicants who had been mistreated and dismissed by their elders –and seeing a chance for profit–, Cat offered them to join their cause. As it turned out, they were only useful as cannon fodder for the ice trolls that infested the mountains, and most ended up dead or fleeing the battlefield. Whatever. It wasn't Cat's business to mother them, so despite Rasaad's worries about the applicants’ fate, the group wasted no time in their march towards the base of the mountain where the Dark Moon monks had established their temple. It would not be an easy climb with that horrible weather, but luckily, the companions came prepared. After a long, strenuous trek aided by alpenstocks bought especially for the mission at hand, they finally made it to the base and prepared their climbing instruments; ropes and hatchets. Since not everyone was strong enough to climb by themselves –not everyone actually meaning Imoen and Cat herself–, four of the adventurers would climb in pairs. The witch suggested that Rasaad and Dorn be the carriers, since they were the strongest of the group –physically, at least. Rasaad was more than eager to help, but of course Dorn complained about it.

“I am not carrying that pest,” he grumbled, pointing at Imoen.

The thief scoffed. “As if I'd wanna be carried by you,” she replied, pointing her nose up and walking away from the blackguard. “I'm going with Rasaad!”

“Can we please have a day, a SINGLE FUCKING DAY, without any of you fighting?” Cat interrupted what would have probably become an endless banter she had neither the time nor the patience for. “I'm the heaviest of us two, so I was counting on Dorn to carry me anyway. Now the two of you shut up and get to climbing!”

As she handed Dorn a piece of rope to cut, she oversaw that everyone was doing their work as commanded. She circled her waist with her end of the rope while Dorn did the same with his, and then she took the cut portion and tied it to his side into a knot that he helped her secure. That would allow for better distribution of the weight and to prevent their rope from snapping if she tripped. If he did, on the other hand… they would be as good as dead. She would have to trust that he wouldn't get both of them killed.

“Ready?” She asked him.

“Make sure you keep up,” he huffed in response.

Even though they had managed to establish a relationship of mutual trust, Cat sometimes wondered who the biggest pest actually was.

As soon as everyone was ready, the climbing began. It turned out that Dorn's former warning was sincere, and not just a means to annoy Cat; he was extremely agile and easily found the best spots to bury the hatchet in order to keep moving. Cat reasoned he probably had done something similar before with his old tribe back at the Spine of the World, so she decided to follow his hatchetsteps –since all the snow looked the same to her– and… try to keep up. The dents he left behind, fortunately, were more than big enough for her to follow, even if it took her a higher effort to reach them. From time to time, he'd tug at the rope whenever she was falling behind, to give her impulse to get higher. Which was precisely the idea behind having him carrying her in the first place. She just wished she could have a moment to see how the others were doing… Right then, over the howling winds, Cat heard Dorn curse, and before she could see what was going on, a shit ton of snow plunged down on her like a human-sized avalanche, big enough to make her lose her footing and accidentally let go of her hatchet. She gave out a scream of shock and genuine fear of falling to her death from the great height they had already climbed. However, she felt a strong tug from above, and saw Dorn using the rope knot to grab the rope and keep it from breaking from the sudden pull provoked by the snowfall. With his free hand, he was holding himself to his hatchet in a show of great strength and resistance, and in that moment Cat was glad it was him who was carrying her.

*~*~*

After making sure Cat was holding onto the rope, Dorn looked up to search for possible shelters. According to the map Cat had somehow managed to bargain for back at the Shadow Thieves’ guild in Baldur's Gate, the mountainside was littered with uncountable small caves where they would be able to pause and take cover. The light landslide had most likely soaked Cat's clothes, and that was a death sentence in the middle of a blizzard; he knew that too well. Many members of the Il-Khan clan had fallen victim to the snows of the Spine of the World during his time among them. He could see nothing as far as his sight reached, so there was no other way to go than up. He turned to Cat, eyeing her with worry.

“Hold on tight and try to secure your feet on the snow!” he shouted as he began to slowly let go of the rope, so as not to break it.

“Much easier said than done!” She complained from below as she tried to find her footing.

Huffing, Dorn grabbed the knot again and waited for her to be able to set her feet on the ground. He had his doubts about the firmness of her stance, but time was of the essence, so he once again let the rope loose with care and resumed his climbing.

“Now follow me up,” He instructed her. “I am trying to find one of those damned caves that are supposed to be infesting this godsforsaken place.”

“Wait, I have a spell for that, I memorized it in case something like this happened!” She replied as she gave a few tentative steps up, following Dorn's tracks.

“Don’t be a fool, you should save your energies—”

As usual, arguing with Cat once she had already made up her mind about something was completely useless. Arcane words echoed in the mountain, and for a moment it sounded as if she was commanding it to cooperate, to show its secrets to the witch.

How very Cat of her.

Then, her eyes flashed white and she stopped moving. She tilted her head up, her brow furrowed in concentration like every time she casted a divining spell. Dorn had once heard her blather about the complexity of that kind of magic and criticising the foolishness of conjurers who cast it aside and deemed it useless. If he had to be honest, Dorn thought his vengeance on his old companions would have been carried out much sooner had he been graced with such a power.

Cat's eyes returned to their regular green, and she briefly let go of the rope with one hand to point east.

“There,” she said. “It's big and cozy, and it should allow me to send the others a signal to let them know we are okay.”

“Alright then, be my eyes and direct me,” Dorn conceded.

The climbing took a lateral turn, which was problematic, since Cat couldn't use the carvings Dorn left anymore. Which meant their pace became significantly slowed down. Dorn looked down for a brief moment, and it appeared to him that Cat's face had turned paler. There was no time to waste.

“A bit farther right,” Cat shouted. As he corrected his trajectory, he heard her attempts to find her footing, and he paused and turned to see how she was doing. As he had predicted, she was barely able to take firm steps on the snow. When she slipped, he grabbed the rope again as she cursed. Then her expression changed.

“Look up, you should be able to see it!” Cat ordered him.

It wasn't easy to make out in the middle of the snowstorm, but indeed, there was a ledge not too far from where they were.

Suddenly, Cat broke into laughter.

“Look at all the snowflakes! Soooo pretty…”

And then, she proceeded to open her mouth and try to catch them with her tongue, giggling like an infant. Dorn cursed. He had seen such things before in the far north. The cold enfeebled people's minds, turning them mad before killing them without them even realizing they were passing away. They had to get to that cave as soon as possible.

“Cat, don’t get distracted and follow me!”

He was forced to hasten their advance while keeping his eyes on the rope to prevent it from tightening too much. Cat gave out little squeals when he pulled at it so she would follow, and she didn't curse anymore when her feet slid. She just didn't stop laughing. Maybe the mental exhaustion of the spell combined with the cold were doing that to her? Whatever the case, Dorn's top priority was taking her to the cave, where she would be safe. He gave a firm tug at the rope, propelling her up, and he didn't let go of it until he was sure her feet were touching ground.

“Don’t you even think of letting go of that rope!” He growled, worried that such an idea would cross her mind in her current state.

“Oh, don’t worry, I like the rope,” she replied casually, as if she weren't aware anymore that her life was on the line. And then she began to rub her face against the rope. “Soooo soft…” she cooed.

She was already delirious? It was worse than he had thought. He'd have to force her pace.

“Don’t stop moving!” He commanded her. “We need to get to the cave, now!”

The blackguard pulled at the rope so she would snap out of whatever the cold was inducing in her. For a split second, he felt his heart stop when he heard her give out a little shout and saw her almost letting go of the rope, but fortunately, her hands were still quick enough for her to grab it before it was too late. That time, she managed to plant her feet on the snow with more strength as she got back to her silly giggling, but even from the distance that separated them Dorn could see her trembling. She was freezing, and she probably couldn't even notice it anymore. He loosened the rope again and pressed on, making sure Cat was following. Fortunately, they had covered quite some distance and were now close enough to the ledge for Dorn to make it to it. He buried his hatchet deep in the snow, making sure it was secure, and then turned to Cat. She was singing a song he couldn't care less about, but he noticed her lips had acquired a bluish hue.

She was dying.

“Hey, why don’t we just hang in here to sleep?” She asked, pressing her whole body against the snow. “The snow's comfy.”

“Not a chance,” Dorn growled in response, his tension growing by the minute.

The situation was dire, indeed. He looked at the ledge, then at his hatchet, then at Cat, who was actually trying to sleep against the mountainside, and decided to take the fastest course of action, despite the danger. Just one misstep and Cat would fall to her death, but if he kept waiting she would die anyway. So he placed his feet right below the hatchet he still held on to while he searched above with one hand, making sure the terrain was firm enough. Then, with an agile hop, he planted a foot on the hatchet as his fingers dug into the snow. He picked up the rope with one hand… and he jumped. In that passing moment, he was a boy of the Il-Khan tribe again, fighting for survival ever since he could remember, trekking down the frozen land, climbing up mountains like those, taking leaps of faith that would mean the end of him if he fell short… When Dorn felt the cold snow even through his gloves, he knew he had made it. And so would Cat. Who was dangling from the rope, silent and unmoving.

Though there was no logical reason for it, Dorn's heart skipped a beat.

“Cat?” He called.

“I'm here,” she answered in an alarmingly weak voice, looking up to see him. She was even paler than before.

“Cat, keep your feet on the ground, I’m going to pull you up, but you have to try to climb, I'm not sure how much longer the rope is going to hold at this rate,” He instructed her, unsure that she would be able to follow through in her state.

As he predicted, she was barely able to find her footing, and when she did, she could barely take a couple steps up without stumbling. Pulling her up was a tortuous process; though she didn't weigh much for his strength, the problem lay, once again, on the rope's resilience. He feared it would break at some point, but Cat had surely been graced by a deity of some sort, because soon enough, he was grabbing a gloved, trembling hand, and the witch was on the ledge with him. When she tried to stand, he had to catch her so she wouldn't fall, so weakened she had become due to the cold. He quickly guided her inside the cave behind them.

*~*~*

All of Cat's limbs felt numb and heavy. As they entered the cave, darkness enveloped her like a blanket, and all she could think about was how badly she wanted to sleep. As soon as they were deep enough inside to be relatively safe from the cold, Dorn began to prepare his tent. Cat knew they weren't going anywhere in the blizzard, so they would have to rest. Yes, rest… She was so tired, she needed it, she needed to sleep…

“Hey, get up!” Dorn's roar echoed in the cave as he pulled Cat's arm and forced her to sit up just when she had decided to lay on the floor. It occurred to her that such a strong pull should have hurt her at least a little, but she was too exhausted to feel anything.

“I'm tired,” she protested, trying to lie back down.

Dorn, however, wasn't having it. That time he directly grabbed her by the waist and placed her on a standing position, only letting her go when he was sure she wouldn't fall again, all the while ignoring Cat's endless string of insults and complaints.

“Cat, your clothes are soaked,” he told her, “you have to take them off.”

Okay, she still had enough energy left to be surprised.

“Out of all the ways someone has tried to get me naked, I must say this one is the most imaginative I’ve ever heard,” she joked, with an eyebrow raised.

As she had predicted, Dorn did not appreciate her mastery of humor.

“Don’t be a fool! You are dying, and I will not tolerate that!” He exploded in an outburst of anger that left Cat utterly shocked. “You either take your clothes off by yourself or I will do it, but you have not led me this far to freeze in a mountain in the middle of nowhere!”

So dumbfounded she was, in fact, that no other thing came to her tired mind but obliging.

“Fine, sheesh, no need to get so—Okay, what the fuck?”

Dorn stopped mid-strip (Cat had to admit she rather liked what she got to see) and huffed with impatience.

“You need to warm up. Skin to skin contact is the quickest and safest way,” he explained as he kept undressing as casually as if he were alone. “Besides, my kind’s body temperature is higher than humans’, so along with my dry blankets it should be enough to keep you alive through the night.”

“Wait, if we're going to stay the night then I should go cast those magic missiles so the others know we're okay”, Cat replied, giving up her fight with the sleeves of her robe for a moment.

“Cat, you can barely stand,” Dorn turned to her with his blankets in his hands, dead serious, right when she tripped and fell on the floor face-first. “Do you really think you are in any shape to cast magic?”

“But—”

“Not 'buts’, you are not dying today,” Dorn cut her off, lifting her with ease and helping her remove the remainder of her clothes, before letting her inside the tent and tucking her under the fur covers before slipping inside with her, naked as he came.“Now come closer so I can help you warm up.”

Cat dragged herself closer to Dorn however best she could in her state, and he circled her figure with his arms with surprising gentleness. When she looked up at him in surprise, he just rolled his eyes.

“I'll cover you better like this,” he replied, sounding somewhat defensive. “Put your feet next to mine and make sure your hands are touching me; you don't want to lose any fingers or toes. The nose and ears are important, too, so rest your face on my skin.”

“Mmkay,” Cat mumbled, placing one hand on his shoulder and sliding her other arm around him to pull him closer.

As she rested her face under his chin, she realized how very warm he indeed was, and how nice it felt right there, under the furs, in his arms. She would have also felt alarmed for being so comfortable in such a vulnerable state around him, but he was too focused on her survival and she was too tired to actually give a fuck.

“Can I sleep now?” She asked.

“You are still too cold. Speak to me so you can stay awake for a while longer; I will tell you when it's safe for you to rest.”

“Dying in your sleep… might be a peaceful way to go for some,” she mused, sighing in content against her will. She was getting a bit too comfortable.

“You do not strike me as the type to wish for such a death,” Dorn commented. Was that in his voice a hint of humor, or was Cat beginning to hallucinate?

“That's because I'm not the type to die,” she replied, looking back up to him with a smirk.

The moment their eyes met, she was suddenly very aware of the fact that they were lying naked in a bedroll in a cave in the middle of the mountains, alone. She quickly averted his gaze with the excuse of warming up her face –which she already felt more heated at her cheeks, much to her dismal– and rested her head on his chest instead. It was a firm, hard area, partially covered by body hair, not untouched by scars –Cat didn't dare to look for too long, but she saw lots of those on Dorn's muscular body, reminders of his many battles–, and yet comfortable as a pillow for the witch. He was warmer there, and his steady heartbeat had a calming effect on her. Maybe she shouldn't linger; he said she had to keep herself awake, but it was so cozy in his arms… Cat let out a contented sigh as she shifted her weight to get more comfortable. Dorn remained almost impassible; the slightest muffled intake of breath the sole indicator that he felt it. Cat couldn't help but grinning with malice. Now that was interesting… and oh, sure to keep her awake.

“Well, well, well, Dorn,” she chuckled, looking up to his face again, not wanting to miss his embarrassment. “Is that a greatsword in your bedroll, or are you just happy to see me?”

Dorn's eyes widened for a moment, and Cat could swear his ashen complexion took a rosey turn at his cheeks. He clicked his tongue and looked away, furrowing his brow.

“I am not happy to see you,” he replied in what would have felt like a menacing tone for someone who didn’t know him as well as she came to do.

“It's alright, you know,” she continued, determined to tease him as much as she could. Didn't he want her to talk, after all? “It happens to everyone when they're this close to me, it's only natural that even you would find me irresistible.”

“I am beginning to seriously regret saving your life,” he gruffed, still unwilling to look at her.

“You know you don’t,” she laughed, resting her head on his chest once more. After a short silence, he sighed in defeat.

“Maybe not,” he conceded, much to Cat's shock. “Let me check your temperature.”

The way he ran his hands down her back, thighs and arms, and then caressed her face, with slow, soft movements, affected Cat a lot more than she would ever be willing to recognize. It made her heart skip a beat, hold her breath, feel chills down her spine and all that cliché shit people felt when they got horny.

Wait.

Horny?

_Cat, what in the Nine Hells are you thinking?_

Dorn, on the other hand, did not seem affected by the contact, at least not more than his “unhappiness to see her” appeared to indicate. He gave her a serious look before speaking.

“You have warmed up considerably. You may sleep now; tomorrow we will have to keep climbing.”

Then, he pulled her to him again and closed his eyes, resting his head on the pillow. Needless to say, Cat was way too confused, not to mention hot and bothered, to get a proper rest that night.

**Author's Note:**

> Just as I proofread this, S&C: SoA reached over 500 views and I can't believe I've made it this far! I'm so happy I could die ahhhh!
> 
> Anyway, this means that after I publish the over 100 comments (half of them are my replies but shhh!) celebratory one-shot, I'll post another to celebrate this very special milestone! Thank you all so much for helping me make it, remember that I love you and don't forget to leave a naughty or nice comment about this one-shot for me <3


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